8 LIMMY A VERY DARK PLACE
limmy.com
SCOTLAND’S BEST WEBSITES
There’s something very, very wrong with Limmy. His site is a miasma of creepy, looping videos, bizarre sketches and ungodly Photoshop experiments (‘Werewolf ’, ‘The Birthday Card’ and ‘Homo Orgy’ being disturbing highlights). The Glasgow comedian first started getting noticed in 2006 thanks to his ‘World of Glasgow’ podcasts, which led onto two successful TV series for BBC Scotland. His website is still the perfect portal for his dark humour however – presenting an internet world that’s as twisted as the Glasgow underbelly he parodies. It’s the ‘Playthings’ section that really showcases his unique take on digital comedy, cleverly using interactive technology to set up his offbeat punchlines. ‘Heavy duty’. (Henry Northmore)
7 GLASGOW PODCART MUSIC-AND-ARTCASTERS
glasgowpodcart.com
burgeoning This site was music started by a bunch of very passionate amateurs. Halina Rifal and co have been hosting weekly podcasts, which now have hundreds of regular downloaders, for the past two years. Their remit is to highlight grassroots and unsigned artists from all over the world, but also to tap into the rich seams of visual art happening in Scotland right now: not just through the podcasts, but also regular blogs and live events. They’ve touted a lot of great newcomers, and mainstream media sources dream of having their influence with audiences. (KI) they’re very funny,
6 GREENER LEITH LOVELY LOCAL ECO BLOG
greenerleith.org
Greener Leith is admirable in its aim to promote the area’s growth, both ecologically
Les Garçons de Glasgow
and economically speaking. All ads are for local businesses, and the forum is geared towards the swapping and sharing of ideas, skills and even locally grown produce. GL also has a cultural remit: a recent blog entry, sandwiched between progress reports on damaged streets and refuse collection updates, contained a group-orchestrated photo-and- soundscape montage dedicated to Victorian naturalist John Muir. None of this would amount to much if the site wasn’t so uncluttered and easy-to-use. (Niki Boyle)
5 THE POP COP SCOTTISH MUSIC’S BIG BROTHER
thepopcop.co.uk
Admiral Fallow, shot for The Pop Cop
No one can accuse The Pop Cop of shirking his job description. The anonymous blogger is a defender and inspector of Scotland’s music scene – from backing new talent and breaking news to beating a global retreat for local bands (TPC pioneered the Music Alliance Pact) – and his investigations are of note (see ‘The Collateral Damage of SXSW’ or ‘Rockness v Doune the Rabbit Hole’). Internet love can be hard to quantify, but the blogosphere spoke volumes when Google shut The Pop Cop down last year: supporters including Franz Ferdinand and The National campaigned for its return (it soon bounced back). Irrefutable proof that, while he may be Scottish, the long arm of The Pop Cop is felt round the world. (NM)
4 LES GARCONS DE GLASGOW STYLE STREET SMARTS
lesgarconsdeglasgow.com
Les Garçons are actually photographer Jonathan Pryce and digital media man Daniel Stern, dedicated people-watchers who realised Glasgow’s ascent to a capital of cool was only missing a street style blog. What sets the Garcons apart from mere interested observers with cameras is their eye for style: these days they generally receive over 2000 hits daily, are frequently invited to collaborate with the likes of Topshop, Cruise and Folli Follie, as well as leading visual artists. They’re not so much recording street fashions as setting trends, and have grown into something more like a style bible, covering London Fashion Week shows and killingly- hip Berlin openings, as well as running styling events and fashion shows back home. Glasgow never looked so good. (KI) 21 Jul–4 Aug 2011 THE LIST 19